US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has arrived in Saudi Arabia Monday, the first stop on his latest whirlwind trip to the Middle East as he seeks to make progress on a number of fronts: progress on a hostage deal, coordinating on the “day after” for Gaza, and trying to ensure the Israel-Hamas war does not escalate into a wider regional conflict.
This is his fifth trip to the Middle East since since the October 7 attacks. Here's a deeper look at the topics he'll raise during the trip:
On a deal to release hostages and pause fighting: A senior State Department official said it is “impossible” to predict whether there will be a breakthrough on the talks and when. “It's one of those things where we don't know because the ball right now is in Hamas's court,” the official said.
On preventing a wider regional conflict: Blinken will again argue that the US actions in the region have been defensive, not escalatory. Late last week, the US launched strikes against Iran-backed militias in Iraq and Syria in retaliation for a deadly attack against a US base in Jordan. They have continued a drumbeat of assaults against Houthi targets.
On more aid to Gaza: “We are in conversation with the Israelis every day on a number of different humanitarian pieces, and make progress on them. But to get real breakthroughs on some of the big things, one of two things has to happen: the Secretary has to show up or the President has to get on the phone with the prime minister. So whenever we come to Israel, we come with a list of things that we're trying to push,” the senior State Department official said.
Still, despite numerous, in-person visits by Blinken, the Israeli offensive in Gaza continues to rage after nearly four months, the humanitarian toll remains incredibly high, and US intentions for post-war Gaza have been repeatedly and publicly rebuffed by the Netanyahu administration.
In Saudi Arabia Monday, Blinken will also continue to discuss prospects for normalizing Saudi-Israeli diplomatic ties. US officials acknowledge that such an agreement cannot move forward without a two-state solution, and the conversation around the prospect has changed since October 7.
Sources : CNN
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